Nine Days of Dorks
by WolfCross
Summary: A simple collection of fluffy one-shots of our favorite dorks. Nine days of Lancaster, nine one-shots for Lancaster, hope you all enjoy!
1. In sickness and in health

_**Hello everybody! Welcome to the first day, or night I should say, I'm so damn late, of the Nine Days of Lancaster! This is one of the nine one-shots, one for each day, all for this adorkable ship. Thank for stopping by, review what you think and what themes you all want to see. Thanks, and see ya'll… in about sixteen to twenty-two hours.**_

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Hunters were no strangers to danger. Hardship was part of the everyday job, with more than enough challenges in one day than most would face in their lifetimes. Ruby, so far, touch wood, hadn't found any challenges that she couldn't conquer. From countless Grimm, to the forces of darkness, to moving in with the god of dork that was her boyfriend, she could win it all, and still have enough energy for more. Still there was one enemy that no precious crescent rose, or silver eyes, or diabetes inducing cuteness could dare to defeat. A monster that has dominated mankind since the dawn of time!

The Sniffles. Damn the sniffles. Damn them to the snot filled hell from whence they came! Why couldn't she have gotten something less messy? Like a migraine, or a sprained ankle, or a dislocated shoulder, or a stubbed toe? Okay, maybe not that last one. Ruby wouldn't even wish that horror on Cinder Fall. But still, a runny nose? A sore throat? A fever? The constant feeling like a weight was being pressed on her head? What did she do to deserve this torment? Was it stealing from the cookie jar? That must've been it. This is divine punishment for stealing those delightful confections! Well, curse the divines and whatever spawned them for doing this! Curse them!

That is where she is now, stuck on the couch for the third day, antsy and restless. Her overprotected, concerned geek of a boyfriend refused to let her go on any missions while she was sick. Normally, it wouldn't be much of a problem. Just bat the cute silver eyes, smile a little, and give him the best cuddle she could, and there was no way he would say no, which was standard anyway, but that was beside the point. Somehow, she didn't even have enough energy to pull that trick off, and even if she tried, she doubted it wouldn't have worked. Jaune had his moments of weakness, but he is stubborn and headstrong, almost to a fault, a genuine loving family man at heart. That was one of the _many _things she loved about him.

Such a man was marched over to her, casting a shadow over her, and smiled. "How's my little patient today?" He cooed, taking the warm, wet rag off her forehead and wringing it out in a bowl.

"Kill me." Ruby raspilly groaned, tugging at his pant leg. "End me. End my suffering."

Jaune burst out laughing. "But if I do that, all of the food I made will go to waste."

Ruby cringed at the idea of food. Her stomach just wasn't having it. Even the thought of cookies made her stomach churn. Cookies! She repents! She repents already! Just end her misery, whatever god was cursing her! "No, not food. Take it away, take it awaaaay."

Again, Jaune laughed. She couldn't help but pout. If only she had the energy to lift her arm so she could wring his perfect, muscular neck. Then again, that bruise she made several nights ago was still very visible. A little smile grew on her face.

"Come on, Rubes. You've gotta eat something. It's nearly sundown. Maybe you need some food to give you energy. I mean, you've kinda just been staring at the ceiling since you woke up this morning." Jaune said, collecting her personal pile of used tissues, and tossing them away.

"But what if I like staring at the ceiling? What if I find the ceiling very attractive?" Ruby playfully asked.

"Okay, either that fever is making you delirious, or that plain white ceiling is turning into a hot blonde stud the moment I turn my head, I doubt that's why." Jaune said with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't kid yourself, Vomit Boy." Ruby snarked. "It could be any other blonde stud. It could be Sun, or… or…"

"Yang?"

Ruby gagged. "EW! Ew, ew, ew, ew! Don't put that image in my head, Vomit Boy! Oh, that's so gross! And stud is a guy term, right?" If that term was mostly for guys, that would imply Yang secretly had a… boy's thing. That disgusting thought nearly brought on another wave of nausea on her. How anyone could dare thing of something so nasty was beyond her. "Nevermind that, I'm really not hungry, thanks."

Jaune sighed. "Ruby, you haven't eaten since dinner last night. And that didn't last too long because you puked it back up again."

"Can I not, Jaune? If I can't even eat cookies, you know my stomachs completely trashed." She rasped, trying to hide under her makeshift towel blanket. " I really don't think I can- ah… ah-choo!" Jaune couldn't even register what was going on before it was too late. Before he knew it, snot covered his face, but his expression didn't change a bit. All he did was nod. "Ooh, sorry about that."

"No problems here. I'm just glad I kept my mouth shut." He plainly said, wiping whatever he could off of his face. "All the same, could you aim that elsewhere? I don't think both of us can afford to get sick right now." A smile spread across his face. "Come on. It's just some soup. I mean, you've gotta eat something to keep up your strength, right? Who else is gonna keep the world safe, save lives, or annoy me enough times for me to strangle myself." He smirked when she stuck her tongue out at him for that remark.

Inwardly, she was happy as can be. As much as the thought of food was downright nauseating, there was a lot of faith to be had at Jaune's cooking ability. For example, Ruby absolutely despised most kinds of vegetables. Green, bland and tasteless, they were the absolute bane of her existence. Someone though, he made them taste amazing. Somehow. If Jaune could make those detestable excuses for food taste like eating fluffy, spicy, nice tasting clouds, then chicken soup should be childsplay. Even with her nearly destroyed stomach that hungered for all that is sweet and sugary. Darn her sweet tooth.

Jaune left the room to finish the soup. She smiled. She was still wearing that bunny hoodie she bought for him. The one she custom ordered for him, with a rose emblem on the base of the bunny's head, just for added flair of the greatest huntress the world has ever seen! Jaune even wore it to battle, no matter how hard the others would laugh at him. Strong, brave, ready to give it all for those he loves, Ruby couldn't have gotten a better snag if she tried.

Jaune came back in the room, carrying a steaming bowl carefully in his hands. Ruby smiled brighter, and sat up as best as she could, feeling her heart melt faster than an ice-cube in an oven. That idiot that was Jaune Arc couldn't be that amazing. Spoon in hand, he asked her to open wide. Ruby was tempted to make a joke about whether she should call the spoon an incoming airplane, or a choo-choo train, but the smell of the food enticed her to silently obey. He fed her the soup, eliciting a happy hum from her. That taste was absolutely amazing and erupted a fire in her belly. For the first time in three days, she managed to hold her food down. Props to Vomit Boy, and his perfect cooking skills.

You know what, Ruby was feeling extra cuddly today, sickness be damned. The Arc's were known apparently for not getting sick that often anyway so Jaune should be fine. Even if he wasn't, she'd shower him with all the love and affection that he had given her these last few days. She opened her arms wantedly, pouting like a playful child. The bunny knight couldn't help but oblige, spreading out over the couch. Ruby laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He was so warm. Fever or not, this was definitely not the kind of warmth that she was willing to let go of that easily. Now that she's on, screw getting off. You'd need a crowbar and the strength of ten Nora's to pull that off now.

Jaune chuckled at her. "Don't you care if I get sick too? How very cruel of you, my loving girlfriend."

"Oh shush, you baby. Didn't you tell me a long time ago that Arc's never get sick?" Ruby countered.

"Ruby, I tell you a lot of things about my family. Does it look like most of it applies to me?" Jaune asked, wrapping one arm around her midsection, and the other over her head, stroking her lengthy hair.

"Well, you haven't gotten sick yet, so I'm inclined to believe it. Besides, you're sisters have told me the same thing." Ruby said with a giggle. "They tell me a lot of things, actually."

Jaune audibly gulped. "You've been talking with them again? Oh jeez, what lies have they filled you with this time?"

Ruby smirked. "Oh nothing. Just how excitable and hyper you were as a kid. And how much trouble you'd get into with the neighbors kids because they made fun of your sisters. You were always the good little brother." A smile slowly grew on Jaune's face. "They also told me you weren't properly potty trained until you were six, you wore a dress to school once thinking you looked manly in it, and you secretly have a stuffed bunny in your old closet called mister Tibbles."

"Oh would you look at the clock, it's time for your meds! And nap time! You love nap time! Nap time is great for patients!" Jaune hastily dribbled. Ruby nearly busted a gut laughing at her boyfriends embarrassment.

To be perfectly honest, it was nice having someone else take care of you for once, especially with how much responsibility had been placed on Ruby for the longest time. It seemed like the world just fell onto the nearest shoulders that were willing to bear them, and refused to let go. Luckily, she had her team to back her up. Her sisters-in-arms. The amalgam of the greatest huntresses the world has ever seen. And of course, she had Jaune, who she could rely on from the start. With all of them around, the future always seemed brighter than she ever thought possible, even when it was so easy to give up hope.

Jaune flicked on the TV, but Ruby barely paid attention. One of her main concerns right now was getting the taste of that foul tasting medicine out of her system. Oh well. That'll go away eventually. Right now, it was just her and Jaune, and as she lay on his chest, on the verge of sleep, she felt safe. She felt at home.


	2. Moving on

_**So, yeah, another late one, but I'm trying my best. Making one-shots by the day is... actually harder than I thought it would be. Oh well, its fun. I apologize for the shortness of some of these. I did have to make SOME sacrifices to make sure these all came out. Review what you think, and give me themes you want in the comments. Thanks! Day two over!**_

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In a world like Remnant, victory was something that always had to be treasured. The world was full of so much danger that that every little thing could never be taken for granted. Once you did, you were bound to lose it all in an instant. Jaune learned that the hard way during the Fall of Beacon, where the entirety of his reality was taken right from under him, where he lost Pyrrha, someone who could never be replaced. That put him on the verge of giving up entirely, knowing the reason she died was because he was too weak to follow up and watch her back. No, far from the verge, he was downright about to pull the trigger on what was left of his phony hunting career until Ruby Rose, coming all the way from Patch, paid him a visit.

It was completely out of nowhere and unplanned. Then again, that was unorthodox style in a nutshell. She just appeared out of the blue, determined, ready to drag the disgraced knight out kicking and screaming back into the battle. The moment she started talking about fighting back, Jaune already had his answer prepped and ready. What would she do with a failure like him? Someone who could barely swing a sword without causing the screwing up. He was Lady Luck's whipping boy, and nothing could change that. However, her words weren't just tedious bullshit that he heard time and time again, they were heartfelt, honest, directed right for his soul. She cried not just for him, but with him, and it tore him apart all over again just to pull him back together again.

How did she do it? What did the world do to deserve someone so kind, pure and beautiful in mind and body? Still, that didn't matter in the long run. She was here in his life, and that was amazing. She was inspiring, a living breathing beacon of hope when everything had gone to the dogs. When everyone, quite literally everyone, had given up, she was already out picking up the pieces. He absolutely adored her, with her charisma, energy, dorkiness, just everything about her. If only he could be good enough for someone like her. Oh well. The most he could do was be someone that could watch her back.

And so, he began training. Training harder than he had ever done in his life, using the videos that Pyrrha had left for him in her various scroll messages. It hurt seeing her face, and hearing her voice, but it was worth it. Anything to remember what he was doing, and what he was fighting for. On occasion, such as tonight, Grimm would arrive, possibly drawn by the sour attitude he'd been sporting. All the more training for him. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to deal with guilt over tearing them limb from limb to burn stress.

There wasn't much to deal with tonight in the forest. Just three Beowolves, easy enough to deal with. They all grouped together, running towards him in tandem, one splitting from the pack in a furious sprint for its prey. He stood his ground, shield braced and ready. The beowolf pounced directly on it, feeling almost weightless to Jaune's newfound strength. With one hard push, the Beowolf was thrown over his head, split down the middle by a lightning fast slash of Crocea Mors before it hit the ground. The others met the same fate, cut down between a steady balance of sword and shield, just as he'd be been taught. Exhausted from his nights effort, he staggered back home, hoping Ruby would be asleep and not question where he'd run off to.

What he came home to though was something he'd never come to expect.

Pillows. Mountains upon mountains of pillows stacked all the way to the ceiling. At the top of their forts, stacked haphazardly on the top, was Ruby on one fort, and Nora on the other, pillows armed and ready, grins wide like little gremlins.

It was safe to say that this wasn't on the top of his list of expectations. Then again, this was Ruby and Nora. Jaune felt a tad stupid for not catching on that something was going to horrible wrong.

"Nice try, captain Ruby! You've lasted this long against the Thunder Thigh Assault Brigade! But now your moments are numbered! In other words, count your teeth, peasant, for the queen is here!" Nora shouted loud and proud, only to be smacked in the head with a well aimed pillow.

"Wanna try that again, miss Thunder Thighs? This defence ain't going nowhere as long as I'm here! En garde! Prepare for the softed, squishiest death ever!" Ruby shouted in defiance, cocked the pillow like a rifle. Jaune looked down at Ren, who was just sitting on his guest bed, reading a book. They both looked each other in the eye and sighed. This was their life now.

"How long has this been going on, bro?" Jaune asked raspily, voice hoarse from hours of unuse.

"About three hours now. They won't hold it down. I'm getting worried that the neighbors will start complaining." Ren answered.

"Trust me, man. I could empty Magnhild, and make some fireworks, and the most they'd do is ask if they could have a turn. It's real peaceful around here." Jaune said. "Even so, it's midnight, we should probably get them to st-"

As if on cue, the pillow forts both exploded in a mess of feathers. Both of the girls flew in random directions, with Jaune rushing to catch Ruby in his arms on instinct. Heat rose to his face, and a splash of red ran across Ruby's from the contact.

"Uh, thanks, Vomit Boy." Ruby nervously managed.

"N-no problem." Jaune stuttered, letting her back onto her feet. "Seriously girls? Don't you ever sleep?"

"Sleep is for the weak." Ruby retorted with a grin.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Then consider me handicapped. I need some sleep. G'night."

Like hell he was getting sleep. In the four months since the Fall, sleep was probably the worst issue. It was almost a battle forcing his eyelids shut. He didn't even bother changing out of his clothes. Just lie down, and stare at the ceiling until his brain decided his eyes could use a break, and let him rest. It was almost two in the morning now, but it wasn't getting any easier. The door opened, and to his surprise, Ruby walked in wearing pajamas, carrying a stack of comics.

"Hey, you don't mind if I camp out here tonight, right?" She asked. "Nora's snoring up a storm. It's like she's trying to wake the dead."

"Sure, why not?" Jaune said with a chuckle. "Yeah, I almost forgot how loud she was. I remember thinking an Ursa came into our room while we were sleeping, but I kinda got used to it after a while."

"Right?" Ruby said with a laugh. "Maybe we should use her to scare away the Grimm at night."

"Maybe."

Time trickled by as the two goofed around, reading their X-ray and Vav comics, and for the first time in a while, Jaune felt at home. He felt oddly normal, and right. She had that effect on people it seemed. To his surprise, her hand gave his a strong squeeze, making his heart pound out of his chest.

"You really like over doing it, don't you?" She remarked. "You do know that we all care for you, right?"

Jaune sighed. "Yeah, I know." If he were perfectly honest, he wouldn't even be trying if they didn't. He wasn't exactly like her in that regard. "I just… still kinda don't know why you want me to come with you to Haven that badly. I mean, I'm not exactly the strongest man in the world."

Ruby poked her cheek, staring at the ceiling in thought. "True, you're kinda still on the learning curve when it comes to fighting, and you're not exactly good with wilderness type stuff just yet. We're gonna have to pull your skinny butt outta trouble a few times for a while."

"Oh tear my heart out why don't you?" Jaune said dully, with a roll of his eyes.

"Buuuut." She leaned her head on his chest, smiling, making his him nearly jump out of his skin. "You're probably the bravest person I know, and one of the few people I know I can trust with everything. And you've got a good head on your shoulders, even when you don't believe it sometimes. And one day, I think you'll be one of the greatest hunters the worlds ever seen. You just need time, just like we've all had."

His heart skipped a beat. She really thought this way? Jaune smiled. "Are you sure you want me as your partner for now, though? I mean, I really don't want to hold another partner back."

"Jaune, talk yourself down again, I'm gonna give you a concussion, do you hear me?" Ruby warned, puffing out her cheeks out at him. Jaune nearly laughed. As strong and as dangerous as she was, it was really hard for her to look threatening. "You're gonna be a great partner, do you hear me?" She kissed his cheek. "Now get some sleep. We've got a trip to prepare for!" There was just saying no to her. That was the girl he fell in love with after all. And now tonight, with her in his arms, he knew that things were only gonna get better. The perks of literally holding the beacon of hope in your hands.

Jaune smiled. "Yes ma'am."


	3. Duel

_**I am late. I will admit that. A few days late. I just had things to take care of over the last few days. Life's gotten really hectic lately. Thanks for understanding, the next chapter may be up within a few hours. Thanks! Please leave comments and critiques in the reviews!**_

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What a way to end the day.

Of course, what are the chances that Grimm would attack the moment before Team RNJR just before they entered town. What're the chances that a heavy storm picked up mid-way through, leaving them drenched and cold. It was all that Arc luck rubbing off on the team. The patented Arc luck that can do tap-dances around destiny just enough to give anyone involved the middle finger of the gods. The moment something started perking up, that giant bird of the gods just sailed higher into the sky and just made everything worse, but somehow, always keeping him alive. Go figure. Jaune was almost too used to it by now, even know, during the battle, his clumsiness was screwing over his combat, but somehow saved him at the same time.

What a strange, strange day though. All of it was supposed to be simple. Stop by in town to rest, do a small time job, get some spare lien, have a nice dinner, get some sleep, and be on their way the next morning. Simple enough, right? Well, what if your client was a crabby old woman with a penchant for violence against the young and wary, with her weapon of mass minor bruises, her fifty year old walking stick. Then have her try to find her little cat, Archibald Richard Clarence the Third, which nearly broke Jaune's heart because he can see why the little puffball ran away in the first place.

Of course, Jaune had to be chivalrous again, and let his team rest up and dry off while he searched in the rain for it. Of course the damn cat would be up in a tree, refusing to come out, leaving him with no other option, but climb the tree in the rain and storm, just to tug it out. The fact that his terrible luck hadn't made lightning strike down the tree while he was still on it was a mystery. It seriously wanted to do anything but go back to that woman, shown by the myriad of scratches on his face, neck and somehow, butt. Don't ask.

She didn't even pay either. What a cruel old bat. Even when he was on his knees, just begging for this torment to be over, she said forget it. It took Ruby's puppy dog eyes that made Bambi's eyes look like a cheap horror movie monster for her to cave in and give them enough for a stay at the inn. Face and pride officially gutted, Jaune opened the door to their room, dripping wet, his team already in their pajamas and comfy. Good for them. There was no reason to be angry, he brought this on himself after all, but that didn't stop him from being a little peeved when Nora gave him a dull look upon entering the room.

"Ah, there you are, fearless leader! You took so long getting that cat that the innkeeper just let us in anyway!" Nora loudly spouted. "Pretty nice of him, don'tcha think?"

Oh, that was quite an unhealthy eye-twitch. Maybe he should see a doctor before he leaves town. "Yeah. Just great. Glad to see you're all well and dry. Now, if you'll excuse me, time for bed!" Before anyone could say anything else, he rushed into the bathroom, dried off, and changed. When he came out, Nora was already sound asleep, probably out of batteries, and just dropped like a fly. Ren was in bed with her, reading a book, not so subtly rubbing the top of her head. Damnit, Ren, just stop leaving the poor girl in suspense. We all know you want to hug the battery-powered electric munchkin and never let go. Maybe one day.

Ruby was sitting on the floor, playing a game on her scroll, humming pleasantly. What a little cutie. What he wouldn't give to pinch those adorably puffy cheeks. Still, why was she on the floor when there was a perfectly good bed not a good two feet away? Then Jaune realized it. There were only two beds in the room. That means it was gamble time for who would go for the floor. Usually, Jaune would be the first to volunteer, but today had just been akin to the dampest hell of all time, and his chivalry as a knight was out the window.

"Alright, I'm taking the bed. I'm sure there's a couch around here." The word bed barely left his mouth before Ruby unceremoniously plopped onto the bed, spread-eagled. "Or not."

"Nope. You can take whatever couch is here." Ruby promptly said. That little adorable, pinchable, lovable pest. Nevermind fighting it. Ruby was a lot like him in regards to being unbelievably stubborn. With a sigh, Jaune trudged to the couch in defeat, and flopped onto it.

Were couches supposed to hiss like that? Or spew out a cloud of dust and mold thicker than pea soup? Especially when you just barely touched them? The springs underneath creaked loudly as well, moving under his butt in ways they really shouldn't have. It was like sitting on a bag of snakes. Oh well. This wasn't that bad, especially after spending months sleeping on the forest floors. A little adjustment wouldn't hurt though. With that, Jaune shifted on the couch, slinging a single leg over. A loud _twang_ instantly drew Jaune out of his stupor, making his heart skip a beat, and eyes widen. He looked between his legs and saw a very sharp, pointed, rusty spring that poked a good foot out of the couch… an inch from his crotch.

And that is sayonara to that dusty deathtrap.

"Ruby, unless you want me to get tetanus up my ass, you'll let me sleep on that bed." Jaune pleaded.

Ruby scrunched her nose in defiance. "Nope! I earned this bed! I got us paid!"

"I did the job!" Jaune retorted.

"I got us the job!"

"I found the town!"

"I, uh, led us to the town!"

Jaune sighed. This was getting them nowhere. "Ruby Elizabeth Rose, you let me sleep on that bed, or I swear, I'm gonna-" Ruby didn't even let him finish, something that was getting a little too common place now, gasping loudly. Jaune noticed her face getting very bright red.

"W-who the heck told you my middle name?" She squeaked.

Jaune shrugged. "I kinda just overheard it from your dad when he was telling you off. It's not that big of a deal, right?"

"Of course it's a big deal!" Ruby squaked, holding onto the pillow, hiding her face in it. "Do you know how embarrassing that name is? It sucks! It makes me sound like an old lady! And what're you using that name for? Are you my daddy now, Jaune Clarence Arc?"

Red instantly shot to Jaune's face. Who told her that name? Who _dared _told her that name? That wasn't fair! He stomped his foot on the ground, trying to say anything to get this burning feeling off of his cheeks. "I'm whatever I want to be! That _includes _your daddy!"

Jaune couldn't sworn he heard Ren snort, but that was probably just his imagination.

"So, you want me to sleep on that dust bowl of a couch instead? How can you be so cruel to a lady such as me?" Ruby asked overdramatically, fanning her face and looking away.

Jaune scoffed. "Maybe if you acted more like a lady, we wouldn't have this problem."

"Oh that does it, now you're never getting this bed!" Ruby evilly cackled. A welcoming challenge indeed. You're on, Ruby Rose. There will be war on that bed!

Without warning, Jaune rushed in, securing his arms around her waist, wrestling her out of the bed. Ruby gasped in surprise, then grinned widely, securing her legs in an attempt to overpower him. The two wrestled around the ground for a little bit, having more fun in this 'fight' than they initially thought. In fact, they forget there was a bed to be fought for, getting lost amidst the giggling, laughing, tickling wrestling and general childish mayhem that ended up taking them over. It was magical, actually, doing something other than fighting and traveling, which was all they've all been doing for the four months. It almost felt like yesterday since he left home, inspired by the red ball of hope he came to secretly love.

Jaune did find out one thing about Ruby though. She may have been a prodigy of a huntress, but she was still small. Very small. She was practically weightless, actually, and grappling requires at least some kind of weight and size. Poor girl didn't stand a chance when the knight put on his A game, but she didn't seem to care. Jaune, after countless minutes of just messing around, lifted her high, and slammed her down onto the bed, forcing a small surprised squeak out of her. Once his hands pinned her wrists to it, it was all over. Both were still, panting. Then, in unison, they both grinned from ear to ear and burst out laughing, just for the hell of it, and smiled at each other, just basking in each others presence. Those beautiful, shiny eyes…

Ren coughed loudly. Jaune's head snapped up to see Ren putting on his most forced glare possible. Neither of the dorks could see the little smile underlaid. "As much as I would love to see you bicker on for the rest of the night, some of us are trying to sleep. If the bed is such a concern, why don't you just share it."

That did it. Both of their faces lit up like a Christmas tree. Then they looked at each other, and smiled again. Why not. Official or not, they knew how they felt. What they meant to each other. Somehow, they just knew. Jaune let go of her wrists. Ruby shifted, opening the sheets, and beckoning him in with a little giggle. Jaune took that invitation, dove in, and cuddled Ruby with everything he had, dozing off fast with her in his arms. Ruby was not that far behind, falling asleep on his chest. Even after losing so much, suffering so much pain, he knew he had her, and vice versa, from now on.


	4. Chapter 4: I will survive

_**First off, I want to apologize for the very long wait for this chapter. Things in my life have been going horribly wrong recently, and I had quite a few scares that left me a bad mental state. I'll be fine for a bit, but it slowed me down. Either way, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it, and thank you for your patience. Review what you think, leave a funny comment if you want, it always helps me improve and enjoy. Thanks and see ya later.**_

_**This story will be finished as planned even the the nine days are over. Mark my words.**_

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To think things were actually going so well. Then again, that's how it always starts. Twenty five year old Jaune Rose-Arc, one of the eight saviors of the world, touted now the world's greatest finest swordsman after Qrow's retirement, decided to take the easy route for missions this time. Lead a small pack of hunters across a rainy forest, subdue a band of bandits who were kidnapping children from a local village, wait for evac, go home to his loving wife and son. Simple enough. Normal as can be. A kind of Hunter mission that was incredibly common, enough to pay, and get him home to his family by morning.

It was always the simplest things that go horribly wrong. It's probably because of lax thinking, considering it's monotony. This routine had been done so much in tandem before that little details escape them from time to time. Like choosing not to say anything when one of the other younger hunters wanted to leave before the bullhead finished refueling, stating that they were overdoing it and wasting supplies on a close-by target. Or refusing backup when it was offered to him. Blame his pride for that one. It's just after finally being strong enough to carry out missions on your own, you want to exercise that power as much as you can. Still, that didn't help his case, especially with the odds against them.

The operation couldn't have any worse in any scenario that they ran over. The whole mess was an incomprehensible blur. For one thing, they didn't even land. Someone ratted out their location to the enemy, and got an ungodly amount of guns on them, tearing their bulkhead apart. Five minutes into the mission, and they were a smoking heap in the forest. Jaune laid on the metal grate floor, tinnitus setting in, feeling very weak. Aura had taken the brunt of the crash, but the others weren't so lucky. The bloody corpses in the corner were a good indicator. It took a bit of time before Jaune was able to force his body up, muscles throbbing and bones creaking. He stumbled out of the ship into into the rainy forest, trying to find some place to hide.

Fear had already set in. Stuck in a foreign forest on the other side of the world from your friends and family with bandits armed to the teeth at your back? What grown man wouldn't shoot for this opportunity? The lack of aura was the cherry on top. And the rain? Just godlike. Jaune took off running, more like waddling though, into the forest, trying to find somewhere to hide and recover. There was a small cave just shy of the crash site. He wedged himself in, just barely hiding himself with just enough room to move, and hide from the pelting rain. He pressed himself against the stone wall, shivering, gasping for air.

Bandits scuttled about, sneering and jeering about just how much they'd love to find survivors and just what they'd do. Flaying, burning, whipping, so on and so forth. They even said something about draw and quartering. Whatever that is was anyone's guess. Were they gonna doodle quarters on his chest to spoil his public image or something? That was the hope anyway. Nonetheless, getting found was the last thing he wanted to do. The bandits skulked around for a bit more before leaving a few members behind and running off to search more areas. There was no leaving the area anytime soon. No back-up, no support, too many enemies to fight?

What a spot to be in.

First thing to do in this kind of situation was not to panic. Panic was the enemy. Panic is the stubbed toe of your psyche, just waiting to screw you over. That wasn't much of a problem though. He was utterly exhausted. Feeling a little hopeless and panicked, Jaune shut his eyes tight, trying to think the happiest thoughts he could. Think of his family, friends, all of the people waiting for him to come home. With those thoughts in mind, he closed his eyes, keeping his relaxing thoughts on them, drowsy as he may be. Deep breaths. More.

"Jaune!"

What a way to make mans heart tapdance around his chest. Hearing the woman you loves voice in your ear during critical times? Possibly the scariest and greatest thing to happen. It took a few seconds to realize that his earpiece was still intact, with a one way connection to a safehouse. It was no surprise Ruby invaded that place, demanding to speak to him. The stubbornness was strong with that angel of a woman.

"Jaune, can you hear me?" Ruby asked worriedly. The shuffling on the other end was enough to tell him that she was restless, moving non-stop, and probably squeezing the mic to the point of breaking.

"Loud and clear." Jaune rasped quietly. The bandits were probably gone for the most part, but there was no point in taking a risk like that. Just in case, he peeked his head out. Nothing but empty air and a few dust tumbleweeds that were godlike in how out of place they were. That'll be a story to drag home.

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. Or exasperation at how dumb her husband was to go off on this basket-case of a mission. "Are you feeling okay?"

"A few scrapes, some bruises. I think my pride's also gone belly up, but apart from that, I'm A-okay." Jaune managed.

There was a tense silence for a moment. Jaune knew Ruby was gearing up to ask something. "Be honest with me. How bad is it out there?"

Jaune sighed. Here it comes. "Bad. Very bad. They shot us down before we even got there."

"Is there anyone else left with you?"

"Not really. Anyone who hasn't gotten crushed is either blown away or on fire. I was the only one fast enough to put up an aura shield. I've lost count of the amount of bandits around the area. It's very messy in there." Jaune rasped, leaning his head back, staring at the rock ceiling. A crooked smile cracked onto his face. "I feel like… like… hey, remember that mouse you shrieked at in our first apartment? We searched for days until we found it dead in our AC? Kinda like that."

"Can we not talk about dead rats while you're stuck in a crevice in the middle of a dirt-filled nowhere?" Ruby angrily pleaded. "I swear, you're sleeping on the couch the moment you come back!"

"Aw, I guess you don't want me-" He bit his tongue to tone his voice down. Some were approaching again, probably hearing that lofty outburst that he made. The bandit hastily shifted his gaze around the area, but found nothing. Seemingly satisfied, he skulked off. "Okay, a little too close… and ow."

Ruby took some deep breaths. Remaining calm on an issue instead of blasting his overconfident butt over the radio. "Hey, honey, did you know that Garnet said his firsts words today?"

To think something off the battlefield could make his heart leap to through his throat. What a bombshell to drop on a unfortunate Hunter like him. "Did he now? That's so amazing." That came out as a minor gasp, shock still setting in. Sadness replaced it. What poor timing was this to miss his first born sons first words.

"Yeah. It was just after you left, too, without a word to help people with bandits." Ruby pressed. "You stupid jerk."

"I guess I missed out" Jaune said with a sigh. Understatement of the century. "So, what did our little man have to say for himself."

"Find out."

Jaune suppressed a loud groan. "Ruby, baby, please don't do this to me right now."

"No, Jaune. You are going to come home if you ever wanna know what he said, and you will make it back. Do you understand?" Ruby commanded. What a woman, demanding, but earnest and loving. She was his world, plain and simple.

"Well then, I guess I better make it back then." Jaune said with a smirk. "I'll see ya soon."

Deep breaths. Just a few more. Hiding wouldn't do much good. Neither would running. The bandits probably knew the forest up and down. Freshly motivated and invigorated, he drew Crocea Mors, and stepped out into the open. Time to raise some hell.

No. All he needed to do was survive. Survive for his child, survive for his loving wife, survive for all those who lost their lives here.

Survive. Nothing more.


End file.
